A Councillor and Cabinet Member for Housing in Birmingham says that Birmingham schools are ditching traditional Christian assemblies in favour of Islamic or multi-faith worship.
John Lines pointed out that twenty-three city schools no longer provide morning prayers, which are endorsed by law. Instead the schools have applied for an exemption from the council, despite the legal requirement for all schools to hold a daily act of collective worship of a ‘wholly or mainly Christian character’.
‘We’re still a Christian society in Britain and giving up these traditional assemblies is sad. We should be making more people aware of Christianity. We accept and recognise other faiths but this is Britain and we are still Christians,’ Councillor Lines said.
The Birmingham Mail reported that 19 of the city’s 337 primary schools have opted out of Christian assemblies and four of 76 secondary schools.
Earlier this week it was also revealed that the proportion of youngsters aged seven and under with an Asian background in city schools now stands at 40 per cent against 39 per cent for white children.
A spokeswoman at one of the schools, which was rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted, said they hold daily broadcasts, which include readings from the Koran in place of assemblies.
‘We hold an act of collective worship each morning where the head teacher (Clare Considine) speaks over the system. Some pupils also talk about different faiths,’ she said.
It is officially estimated that the Muslim population of Birmingham is 20 per cent.
In May 2008, two Christian evangelists were threatened with arrest for committing a ‘hate crime’ and were told by a local police community support officer (PCSO) that they risked being beaten up if they returned to the 'Muslim area' in Birmingham.
Arthur Cunningham, 48, and Joseph Abraham, 65, both full-time evangelical ministers, launched legal action against West Midlands Police, claiming the officer infringed their right to profess their religion. West Midlands Police, who refused to apologise, said the incident had been ‘fully investigated’ and the officer would be given training in understanding hate crime and communication.
It was reported at the beginning of this year that almost 100,000 pupils in more than 230 schools in Britain are being taught in schools which have dropped Christian assemblies in favour of Islamic or multi-faith worship. Various commentators suggested that Christianity is under attack in our schools.